Image: Students in arts, sports, music and transportation activities

In February 2024, Woodland voters approved a three-year Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) levy. Thank you, voters.

Woodland voices are at the heart of how levy dollars are used. To ensure our decisions reflect the needs and values of our community, Woodland Public Schools gathered input from stakeholders to shape our Levy Stewardship Framework, guiding how funds are prioritized and allocated across the district.

Our top commitments are:

  • Student-Centered Decision-Making
  • Responsible Resource Management
  • Strategic Fund Allocation

See the impact of levy dollars and the community's investment in Woodland schools

Image: Levy Pie Chart 25-26

Quick Facts:
  • In Woodland, local levy funds provide approximately 13.5% of the district’s overall budget in 2025-26.
  • Need: # out of [10] staff are funded by levy
    • Key Staffing Positions:
      • Nurse
      • Para
      • Grounds/Custodians/Maintenance
      • Technology
      • Teachers
In Woodland, local levy funds support programs and services for students, including:
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All Athletics, Arts & Clubs

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Safety, Security & Maintenance

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Technology

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Transportation

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Staff Positions

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Utilities, Supplies and Materials

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Frequently Asked Questions

By law, school districts can NOT collect more taxes than approved by voters. If assessed property values increase over the life a school levy, the tax rate collected by the school district DECREASES accordingly.

Image: OSPI Per Pupil Cost Comparison OSPI reports Woodland's per-pupil cost as $19.4K. That figure includes transportation funding for the full KWRL bus cooperative, which Woodland manages for Kalama, La Center, Ridgefield, and Woodland. Excluding cooperative transportation funding, Woodland's actual per-pupil cost is $16.9K, well below Washington state's per-pupil average of $19.3K.

96% of all districts in Washington state are operating with an active levy in the 2026 calendar year (OSPI).

The state uses a formula they refer to as "regionalization" to calculate how much a district receives based on home values within and just beyond the district's borders.

Since Woodland Public Schools service area expands deep into Ariel/Cougar where home values are less than those closer in, the state's regionalization calculation provides less funding to us as our average home values are closer to the statewide average rather than other districts in and around Clark County where average house values are higher than the statewide average.

Since we have to pay competitively to the districts in Cowlitz and Clark counties, this miscalculation creates a significant disadvantage for our district. Our Board of Directors has been appealing the state's calculations and has requested a special dispensation similar to what was provided to Washougal School District, and will continue to reach out to the legislature until the state addresses this miscalculation.

When you look at your property tax statement, you will likely see line items labeled something like "State School Levy - Part 1" and "State School Levy - Part 2." The key descriptor in those labels is the word 'State.' These taxes are collected by Washington State, not by our district. While these resources are intended to fund basic education, the funds are not evenly distributed among school districts (see question about regionalization).

Whether a local levy passes or fails, the State School Levy (Part 1 and Part 2) lines on your property tax bill do not change. Those funds are collected by the state and redistributed according to the Legislature's formula - the state levy increase does not result in a direct dollar-for-dollar increase for local school districts, because the money is redistributed through the state. See ESD 112 website for more information.

Woodland School District 404 Voted Levy:
The local levy supporting special programs beyond basic education, are fully dedicated to our Woodland students. These funds are allocated according to community priorities as outlined in the The Levy Stewardship Framework.